Weakly Post #15

A collection of things I have read this week, and some tools for tech and/or learning new stuff, especially languages. Your first comment is checked, after that you are free to comment.

Getting started with the new academic year. The entering students usually look really young each year. This year not so much. Not sure why. My colleague said it was because they used social media. I don’t think so. They just seem more sure of themselves. The good job market?

Candidate Pete Buttigeieg has a lot of good ideas, but one that he is going against is universal tuition support for students capable of a degree. An analysis shows that this goes back more than 50 years, with 2 factors changing our ideas: that public works should be considered by cost-benefit, as should an education. But this is short-sighted. You can see why it makes sense in many other countries in the world. (Washington Post)

On the race front, a black person goes into details about when and why women clutch their purses when he is around. (blog) In another sad story, a pioneering history researcher is worn down by the academic system in the US, relegated to adjunct jobs. It finally, slowly, killed her. (Atlantic)

Mama. What goes around. When I was a kid, the old-fashioned people used “mama” to call their mother. Now I guess it is the opposite. But among the stuff about the US is some good information about how cultures call their mothers. (LongReads) Speaking of great mamas, this photographer took pictures of her own baby being born. (Petapixel)

I threw away most of my floppies. I have a a DAT and a ZipDrive somewhere in my office. That is the 5 missing years of media storage they are talking about here. (BBC)

Flipped Learning has given new life to homework. At least it isn’t workbooks. Yet still, we should think very carefully about what kind of homework we give out. It gets abused way too often. A nice look at the issue from many sides. (Atlantic)

Burger King introduces the beefless “impossible whopper“. I want to try this out. (NYTimes). Also from the NYTimes, we need unions in the game industry.

Very interesting looking video content resource at Ready to Run. There is a free level to check things out. Then individual and class subscriptions. I am going to look into this.

If anyone is into Twine and interactive fiction, get this book, especially if you are teaching it. Great simple introduction. The only bad thing about it is the cartoon on the cover. This would work with adults, too.